


Exploring Spooky Places

by camcatwriter



Series: Klancetober/Fictober 2018 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam is Lance's older brother, Canon Divergence, Crushes, Fictober 2018, Fluff, Galaxy Garrison, Keith gets a little panicky, Klancetober 2018, M/M, Spooky basement, They get spooked, but again it's mild and short, but it's mild and short, canonverse, klance, pre-kerberos, smol beans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-25 01:16:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16187045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camcatwriter/pseuds/camcatwriter
Summary: Shiro asks Keith to help he and his boyfriend Adam clean out his parents' basement, so Keith enlists the help of his best friend and classmate crush from the Garrison, Lance.But it couldn't possibly be that easy, now could it?





	Exploring Spooky Places

       Keith groaned. "You can't be serious, Shiro! You know I hate their basement, it's creepy!"

       Shiro threw an arm around Keith's shoulders. "Come on, it's not that bad, is it? This is a great way for Adam to meet my parents, and we haven't been out to see them for a few weeks: they miss you. Hey, I'll even let you bring a friend if you want, would that make it better?"

       Keith went bright red as his mind went straight to Lance. Pretty, nice, funny, smart, talented, amazing Lance. His best friend.

       And more recently, his crush.

       Keith had never had a crush before, but he was pretty sure that this was what it felt like. His heart raced every time Lance gave him a victory hug after a test or a run in the flight simulator, he felt his knees wobble when Lance smiled or laughed, he wanted to talk to Lance all day, every day, and he'd never felt like this before.

       "Keith? Anyone you think would be willing to come?" Shiro waved a hand in front of Keith's eyes. "Hello?"

       Keith shook himself out of his thoughts. "Um, I think, I think Lance would."

       Shiro looked like he was trying to fight a smirk. "Lance? Okay, cool. So it'll be like a double date then."

       Keith thought he was going to explode. " _Shiro_! It's not-! We're not-! I mean, not that it couldn't happen, it's just that we aren't- Shiro, Lance and I are just friends, there's nothing like that going on," he spluttered in his hurry to explain, cheeks and ears burning. "We're just friends," he repeated.

       Shiro raised one eyebrow. "Oh please. What kind of older brother would I be if I couldn't tell when my little brother had a crush?" He winked and turned around, leaving the living room and heading for the kitchen. "Talk to him, let me know what he says, okay?" He called back. Keith buried his warm face in his hands and tried to calm his breathing.

"Okay."

* * *

 

       Keith was a bundle of nerves. He'd spent an hour fixing his hair this morning and had begged Shiro in desperation to help him find something to wear to school today. He had to admit that he looked pretty darn good. His confidence from this morning had faded in the time it took to get to the Garrison. Keith was pacing in front of the main doors anxiously. _I'm not asking him out. This is just friends hanging out. I'm not asking him out. This is just friends hanging out. Adam is going to be there too, with Shiro. A double date with his and Lance's older brothers would be the worst thing ever, so it's a good thing that it wasn't a date. It's not a date. I'm not asking him out. This is just friends hanging out._ "Hey, Keith!" What timing. Lance bounded up and wrapped Keith in a brief hello hug. "What's up? Are you ready for the simulator today? I heard they're bringing back chicken nuggets this week. Cool, right?" He smiled so big and bright that Keith couldn't help but smile back. It was infectious.

       "Really cool, I love chicken nuggets." Keith said a bit awkwardly before taking a deep breath. "Hey, what are you doing tomorrow? Shiro wants me to help clean out his parents' basement, and he's roped Adam into it, and-"

       "Do you want me to come save you from being a third wheel with our brothers?" Lance asked with a laugh. "Sure. Not the worst way to spend a Saturday," he said.

       Keith could hardly believe it. Lance wanted to come? "Are you sure? You don't have to, it's just-" Keith stopped. "I love them, I do. But Shiro and Adam can be... a bit much."

       "You're telling me. I get it, I'd ask you to come if it were me, if that makes you feel better about asking." Lance smiled and slung an arm around Keith's shoulders, they started walking into the building together. "Bet I can make Iverson pop a blood vessel today?"

       Keith laughed, unable to contain it. "I don't doubt that at all.

* * *

 

       "Keith, let's go! We have to go pick up Adam and Lance!" Shiro yelled from the kitchen. Keith rushed out of his bedroom, tugging on his jacket on his way. "Ready?"

       Keith nodded. "Yeah, let's go. Are we taking the bikes?"

       Shiro grinned. "Perhaps against my better judgement, yes. Be careful though, no driving off cliffs on this trip. You'll definitely get in trouble with Adam if you try a cliff dive with his little brother on the back of your bike, no matter how safe or successful you are at it."

       Keith paled. "Wait, is Lance riding with _me_? I thought Adam was going to drive the other one- you guys are the adults here!"

       Shiro looked at him incredulously. "Adam can't drive a hoverbike, didn't you know? I tried to teach him a month or two ago, and he said the controls confuse him; too many things to keep track of. He says he likes the rovers better." He grabbed the keys to the two hoverbikes and tossed one set to Keith. "Come on, you'll be fine."

* * *

 

       "Lance, get away from the window, it's not going to make them come any faster if you have your face pressed up against the glass until they get here." Adam half-heartedly scolded Lance without looking up from his magazine.

       Lance knew Adam was just as eager as he was, though. "Oh, like you aren't just as excited to see your _boyfriend_."

       Adam shrugged. "Guilty as charged." He put down his magazine and looked up mischievously. "Doesn't explain why you're so excited though, Keith's not your boyfriend. Unless," Adam smirked. "Unless you _like him_." He singsonged.

       Lance flushed. "Shut up."

       "Oh please, you aren't exactly subtle. But, for what it's worth, I think he likes you. I mean, he did ask you to come help today, and you can't tell me that this doesn't feel a lot like a double date to Shiro's parents' house-" Adam broke off into laughter as Lance started attacking him with a throw pillow- "-and they're sort of Keith's parents too, unofficially. So he basically invited you to come meet his parents. Things seem to be getting pretty serious, Lance, when's the wedding?"

       "Shut up shut up shut up please shut up-" Lance continued berating his brother, when there was a knock at the door. Lance froze. "Oh my gosh they're here Adam do I look okay-"

       "You look fine, Lance." Adam smoothed his little brother's hair and smiled encouragingly. "Why don't you go answer the door, I'll just go grab my jacket." Adam squeezed his shoulder and left the room.

       "Right. Answer the door, Lance. Be cool. Let's go, you can do this," Lance muttered under his breath as he made his way to the door. He opened it to see Keith and Shiro standing a little way back on their porch. "Hey, guys! Adam's just getting his jacket, he'll be out in a sec."

       Just then, Adam appeared behind Lance. "And I'm here. Let's go, yeah?" He pushed Lance gently forward and fell in step with Shiro behind Lance and Keith. His gaze landed on the two parked hoverbikes. "Shiro..." He looked at his boyfriend. "Please tell me Keith's a good driver."

       "Almost better than me. I promise," Shiro reassured him.

       "In that case," Adam said, "I assume that means I get to ride with you?" He glanced at Lance and watched as the implications of his sentence sank in. Lance turned slightly to look at Keith.

       Lance swallowed hard. "You can... you can drive one of these?" It was all he could do to keep his voice steady. Was there anything Keith couldn't do?

       Keith nodded. "Yeah... Shiro taught me. I don't think I'm good enough to start learning any stunts yet, though."

       Adam interjected. "Yes, please don't. Let's all just have a nice, safe drive, okay?"

       Shiro put his arm around Adam's waist. "You worry too much. I've been driving one of these for years, and I'm fine." He looked at Lance. "Ever ridden on a hoverbike before?"

       Lance shook his head.

       Keith grinned, nervousness forgotten. He knocked Lance's shoulder with his own. "You're gonna love it. You know how fun the flight simulator is?" When Lance brightened, he continued. "This is better." Glancing at Shiro, he climbed onto his hoverbike. "Coming?"

       Lance chuckled and climbed on behind him. "Bring it." He hesitated for only a second before he wrapped his arms around Keith's waist firmly.

       Shiro had a hard time keeping himself from laughing at the shocked look on Keith's face. He smiled, shaking his head and climbing on his own hoverbike. "Come on, Adam."

       Adam got on and situated himself, also wrapping his arms around Shiro's waist. He leaned against Shiro's back and whispered in his ear. "He likes him, doesn't he?"

       "Do you even need to ask?" Shiro chuckled quietly. Raising his voice, he said, "Let's go, Keith!" The brothers took off and they shot off through the desert.

* * *

 

       "That was _amazing_!" Lance laughed, breathless. "I can't believe it's already over, that was the best thing ever!"

       Keith beamed. "I know, right?" He was bouncing, still excited over being with Lance and the hoverbike ride. "It's my favorite thing."

       "I think it might just be my new favorite thing!" Lance said enthusiastically. Shiro cleared his throat.

       "Guys. Basement?" He nodded towards the house in front of them.

       Keith sighed as he remembered what they were there for. "Coming, Shiro."

* * *

 

       While Shiro's parents were the nicest people ever, their basement creeped Keith out to no end. It was dark, and the only light was the old lightbulbs screwed straight into the ceiling. The floor was cement, the walls were out of cinder block, and he swore he saw something move when he came down the stairs. He and Lance had been sent down to start bringing up boxes while Adam was being interrogated upstairs. Thankfully they wouldn't be sorting through boxes while in the basement- Keith didn't think he could handle it.

       He and Lance worked in silence for a bit together, picking up a box and carrying it to the top of the stairs. After a bit, Lance spoke up.

       "They seem nice."

       Keith nodded, grunting as he picked up an especially heavy box, heaving it onto the bottom stair. "They are. They're Shiro's parents, but when Shiro took me in a bit ago, they supported him. His mom offered to let me stay here, but it's a bit far away to be going to school at the Garrison."

       Lance nodded, leading the way up the stairs. When they walked back down into the basement, he opened his mouth again, but before he could speak, the two boys were plunged into darkness.

       Keith's heart pounded wildly as he froze in mute terror. This was literally his worst nightmare. What was he going to do-he was panicking-why wouldn't the lights come back on-where was Shiro-

       "Keith?" Lance's voice pierced through the cloud of panic. "Can you say something, I'm going to try to feel my way over to where you are. Then we can try to find the stairs together, okay?"

       Keith tried to steady his breathing. "Y-yeah. I'm over here, Lance. On your right." He could feel himself on the verge of panicking, but he forced himself to focus on listening for Lance's footsteps, which were, in fact, coming from his left. Suddenly, a hand landed on his arm. Keith screamed, realizing a second too late that it was Lance. He slapped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment. "Lance, I'm so sorry, I didn't think-"

       "Keith, hey, hey it's okay. I should've kept talking so I didn't startle you. Are you okay?"

       Keith felt the hot shame creep up his neck. "Yeah, this basement just...it really creeps me out. Let's get out of here." He felt Lance reach down with his other hand to grab onto Keith's hand.

       "Okay, so I think the stairs should be in this," he gestured with their joined hands, "direction. Just, move slow, I can't remember how many boxes are in between here and the stairs." He squeezed Keith's hand comfortingly and Keith squeezed back, grateful to have his hand to ground him. The two moved slowly towards the door.

       "Ow!" Keith's foot hit something and he yelped in pain. "What is in this box, bricks?" He bent down, tugging Lance with him. When he reached out to touch the box, it was cold... just like cement stairs would have been. "Lance! It's not a box, it's the bottom stair!"

       "I did not expect us to find the stairs this fast, but I'm not complaining. Come on!" Lance tugged Keith back up and they careful made their way up the stairs in the dark. When they got to the top, Lance fumbled around for a second before he found the doorknob and pulled the door open. The boys blinked into the dim sunlight as they walked out and Keith shut the door behind them.

       "Keith! Lance!" Adam wrapped them both in a hug. "We think a fuse blew in the breaker box, I was just coming to get you guys. Are you both okay?"

       Lance looked at Keith. "Yeah. A little freaked out I guess, but we're fine. Basement is pitch black though," he said with a smile.

       Shiro came in and hurried right over to Keith, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly. "I thought we could get the lights right back on, but the breaker box is older than I thought it was and it rusted shut and-"

       "Shiro, I'm fine. Yes, it was creepy, yes, I was freaked out, I almost panicked, but I wasn't alone, I'm okay now. I just _really_ don't want to go back down there anytime soon now."

       Shiro nodded and hugged him, ruffling his hair before letting him go. "Absolutely. We should actually get going, it's getting kind of late. Are you ready to go?"

       Keith smiled, realizing he was going to get to drive with Lance's arms around his waist again. "Yeah." He looked over at Lance and smiled. "Let's go home."

**Author's Note:**

> Day three of Fictober and Klancetober!
> 
> I'd love feedback if you're so inclined, and kudos and comments are super appreciated if you want to do that! :)


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